The Press., 1887-11-24
Hartford Times.) THE CLIPPING OF HORSES.

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 (Hartford Times.)
 THE CLIPPING OF HORSES.
 Now that the leaves are falling and the autumn chill fills the air, hazy visions of the coming winter float in the mind-of Thanksgiving with its New England cheer, with its gifts and good wishes, and the New Year with it's new resolves. But shivering behind the elittering, bustling surface of life, cold, want and suffering are waiting for their victims. The many gen. erous hearts throughout our city will fight these ghastly spectres. Societies and in- dividuals will come forward to relieve hu- man distress, and public opinion is now so educated that no unfashionable abuse or exposure of animals will be tolerated {; but there are crying evils which are care lessly permitted by well-intentioned per- which may be thoughtlessly left unremedied, and one is the clipping of horses-a cause of constant discomfort and frequently of death to those unfortu- nate animals that are forced to submit to it.
 "NoW is the time," says the well-worn newspaper paragraph, ito buy your wife sealskin sack, yourself beaver overcoat, your coachman a fur cape-and to have your horses clippedl' This presents the whole case in a nutshell. Why should you keep yourself warm and freeze your dumb servants? They do not like it any better than you would. It is no better for their health than it would it would be for yours. A lady who owns some of the. most valuable horses in town, said to her coachman when he suggested having them clipped, Michael, if you wish to go out this winter when the thermometer is at zero in your summer suit and linen dust CT, have no obiection-but my horses shall wear their winter clothes" We quote the following paragraphs from hu- mane publications
 FASHIONABLE oRUKLTIEs.
 "An erroneous opinion exists as to the character and condition of offenders against the rights of the lower animals. Many persons prefer to believe that cruel ty is almost exclusively an instinct and habit of the poor and humble. The un- complaining animals which drag the equip ages of the rich along our thoroughfares, shorn of that protection which Nature pro- vides them against the cutting blasts of winter the barbarous nicking of the tails of horses, the ponderous bits and checks,
 
 whereby deliberate cruelty is inflicted, un. redeemed by any plea of necessity, attests its fallacy.
 ''It is difficult to resist the just indigna- tion one feels at the sight of horses stand. ing before the shop-do of the city by day, and the mansions of fashionable rev elry by night, shivering from the intense cold of an Arctic winter, while the stupid and indifferent coachman sits enveloped iu furs to the top of the head, and the blankets designed for the freezing animals snugly wrapped around his own legs. These are cruelties of neglect on the one hand, and selfish unconcern on the other. "
 ''Do not clip horses during the winter months. With the same propriety we might cut the hair from dog, or shear a sheep at this season of the year. The ar gument in behalf of the practice is that the horse in precipitation will dry more quickly if the hair is short. If the animal is thoroughly blanketed and kept in a sheltered or warm place, after being driv. en, no danger results from precipitation, whatever the length of hair; while the horse that has been deprived of its coat in the winter time suffers perpetually while being exposed to the cold
 
 carriage horses for the purpose of style. Blessed is the ordinary ork-horse, in the winter time, for, however much it may perspire, it is allowed to carry its full growth of hair during the cold weather" Is it cruel to clip horses in the winter Is question easily answered.
 With the approach of winter, Nature generously provides the horse with warm CT coat of hair, the obvious intent o which is thwarted by the device of man who with ingenious machinery cruelty re moves the covering wisely provided by tho All wise Dreator of the world. Now what is this done for? To improve the health of the animal?
 answer, Nol
 It is simply labor-saving invention o the groom, and is practiced by those who are indolent, and careless about the com forts of their charges. so long as they cal find something to take the place of littl' necessary exertion.
 The cruel practice increases every year and the poor creatures thus deprived O their natural covering are frequently seel shivering, and giving every evidence O their acute suffering.
 Let any person go out of doors when tn, | clothing only, and he will have lively sense of the advantages" which are claim ed for this inhuman practice.
 It is to be hoped that this perniciou and cruel custom will receive the con demnation of all right thinking people.
 We quote in full Mir. Bergh's appeal t' all horse-owners
 HORSES CHILLED TO DEATH BY CLIPPING | Headquarters Am. Society for Prevention oil
 Cruelty to Animals, New York City.
 The Society for the Prevention of Cru city to Animals most feelingly and earnest ly invites the humane consideration of al persons owning horses, to the cruel ant disastrous practice of clipping and singeinI them. In the hope that this inhuman GUS tom may receive the condemnation whicl it merits, the undersigned respectful, subjoins few authorities on the subject Mayhew, in his great work, says: "Clip ped or singed horses are thereby rendere. susceptible to many disorders. Any in | al ovnrar1 ha kaIry akkon1ra1 Ia